A place of joy, abundance, charity and endless giving

“It is with your thoughts then, that we must work, if your perception of the world is to be changed.”–A Course in Miracles
Depending on who you talk to, Tinder is either:

a) The world’s most popular dating app

b) An uber-easy scheme for hooking up

c) A surefire recipe for rejection

I’ve never tried it, but if I understand it correctly, Tinder is an app where you view pictures of available humanoids and, if you like the way they look, you swipe right. If not, you swipe left. I’ve worked harder at putting on eyeliner.

But either way, the direction you swipe is 100 percent up to you.

So you’re probably asking, what in the hen’s coop does this have to do with Course in Miracles? So I’ll tell you.

Like Tinder, we get to choose which feelings and thoughts to hook up with. We decide whether to embrace or reject the circumstances of our lives.

Most of us, I’m sorry to report, usually swipe left. We pick out the “pictures” we don’t like—the problems, the issues, the yucky stuff—and we spend our precious time with them.

ACIM Lesson 249 encourages us to swipe right, to pick the pictures that actually make us happy, the pictures we’d actually like to “date.”

As an example, here are three right-swiping thoughts that have really blessed my life:

1. I am the Bill Gates of free time and flexibility. (Swiping left would report I’m unemployed.) I’m a freelance writer so there’s no boss expecting me to clock in. I can travel whenever I want to. I can attend get-togethers in the middle of the day—like my spiritual entrepreneurs group—or lunch with a dear friend as I did yesterday for two and a half hours. Some people would panic without a regular job. I prefer to see it as having an abundance of time and a whole wagonload of opportunities to create new things.

2. I enjoy an unlimited supply of creative capital. (Swiping left would report not having a job for 20 years) I have so many ideas I want to write about, so many books and TV series and articles I want to produce. And to my way of thinking, creative capital trumps the other kind of capital because mine is capable of producing the other kind of capital and is lots more fun.

3. I have fun no matter what. (Swiping left would say, “But what about that time your back went out?) As a travel writer, I get to do a lot of cool things—meet South Pacific medicine men, hang with wealthy people at five-star resorts, eat every meal beside the ocean—but it doesn’t take that for me to have fun.

I’ve often shared the story of my trip to Belize where I was invited to write about the “end of the Mayan calendar” at Caracol, a jungle Mayan city still being excavated.

The night I was supposed to pack for my 6 a.m. flight, my back went out. I wasn’t able to go….at that time. So I lay in bed that first day in what some might describe as excruciating physical pain. I could barely get up to pee. But I, because of my commitment to fun and joy, actually had a stellar day. I was so happy–really!!! I decided to have fun anyway. I look back at that day as very important to my spiritual growth because I realized this:

My thoughts are the only thing that separate me from having every single thing I could ever want.

11 Comments on “A place of joy, abundance, charity and endless giving”

I loved this! I’m not on Tinder but I’m familiar with the concept. Choosing which thoughts and perceptions we want to knock boots with is a humorous way to frame and illustrate the power we all have to choose. Thanks!

Pam – I know I don’t leave a comment every day , but the first thing I think of when Im having my my first morning coffee ( in bed – I too am “unemployed ” or “freelance” so can do these things ) is “I hope Pam has left me something in my inbox!” And I’m always thrilled when you have ! Thanks Pam – you make my day!

I’m a righty all the way! Excellent examples. I love how it’s how we look at it. I just spent 2 days riding in the back seat of my truck to and from the beach for the night, sleeping in a hotel with smelly pillows. But since I swipe right, I was chauffeured to the beach while I was able to read a great deal of a novel as I rode, experienced a wonderful cheese factory with samples of cheese and ice cream, had a wonderful light lunch before the double scoop of lusciousness, and purchased some great cheeses and snacks. Had a very similar experience on the way back. As I waddled into my house, my chauffeur
(son) brought in my bags, while I had the second half of my lunch for dinner. Plus 2 wonderful walks on the beach and the ocean lulling me to sleep last night. They paid for the room and we had our own spaces for sleeping. Can’t get much better. Next time I go anywhere though, I might bring my own pillow. 😉 It was all ‘right swipe’ as far as I’m concerned.

It’s really that easy to swipe left or right … except when it’s not… and then… I breathe into my heart of hearts, and I understand that I made that choice (to be depressed, resentful, jealous, cranky etc) and I am wrapped up in the drama and illusions that this life is real. I am grateful for this whole package of life, and continue to be a work in progress, and am letting myself be exactly who I am. I’m swiping to Love. Ohhhh Pam… gratitude for your blogging and sharing and inspiring ways you share joy to our world!
Shine On sister sunbeam… and we will do the same!!
Being perfectly incomplete, joyful expressions of who we are.
Xo Kate

Camp Nashville is a zany scavenger hunt of Music City, complete with prizes. First to snap a photo at all the required (and fun) stops wins $1000 worth of Nashville prizes.

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